for Scripture Memorization

Bright Ideas for Scripture Memorization

BRIGHT IDEAS FOR SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION PRE-PRIMARIES MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE We all agree that John 3:16 is one of the most important verses of the Bible, and that each child should learn it. The pre-primary child can learn it, too, if it is divided into phrases. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." Each phrase should be taught about and explained in some way. To add a little incentive, take a large piece of blue construction paper and put a strip of green on the bottom for grass. Cut out five large flowers, making sure, however, that they will fit on the paper. For the centers and stems of the flowers have the child paste on a sucker each time he learns a phrase. Over the sucker you can then paste a yellow circle on which the phrase he has learned has been typed or printed. When the picture is completed, John 3:16 can be read from one flower to the next. Although the child himself cannot read, the parents can, and this is one way to get John 3:16 into homes where there are unsaved members of the family. WHISPER A BIBLE VERSE Why not try whispering a Bible verse? Make a 2-inch paper tube using wallpaper or shelf paper. The novelty is in the length so make it twenty inches or longer and cover it with pretty wrapping paper. Demonstrate to the children that when you whisper the Bible verse for that week, and they hold the tube to their ears, they can hear you easily. Let the children take turns whispering the verse to the teacher and to each other. You may want to make one for each child to take home. Be sure to have one in the classroom to use during the entire month. This will allow reinforcement of the verse to each of the children, and will insure better attention by each of your young pupils. ACTION MEMORY VERSE REVIEW Here is an interesting way to help your boys and girls learn and remember their memory verse. Have two children form an arch with their hands together and have the rest of the boys and girls march under the bridge. To the tune of "London Bridge" sing, "Heaven is a happy place, happy place, happy place. Heaven is a happy place. I want to go there." On the words "I want to go there," the two forming the arch will close their arms around the child passing under the bridge at that time. The child who is caught must recite his memory verse before he is released. It would be best to review the memory verse with the entire group before the game starts so no one will be left without knowledge of the verse. The teacher may prompt a bit at times, but the experience of saying the verse aloud will help fix it in the mind of each child. TV MEMORY VERSE REVIEW Select a box higher than your tallest child and wide enough that one child can stand inside. Cut an opening in the front so that the head and upper part of the child's body can be seen. Review the memory verse with the children, then tell them that they are going to make believe that they are on television and will say the verse for the rest of the children. The teacher will make the announcement for each child when it is his turn to be on TV. Save the box, you may want to use it again for a special song or memory verse. The box will look better if it is covered with brown wrapping paper and

crayoned with lines to stimulate wood. Wood grain wallpaper or contact paper may be used for a more permanent effect. If your box is large enough, it could be used for any special puppets that may visit your class periodically. PRIMARIES VERSE PLACEMATS There are many ways parents can help their children learn and memorize verses of Scripture. Recitation and rehearsal are basic skills, but there are ways that add variety and interest to make memorizing a family adventure. One method for you might be the verse placemats. It is quite easy for children to make placemats for family use. Use a 12" x 18" cardboard, covered with colorful plastic-coated paper. You will find clear Contact excellent for this purpose. Use paints or colored pencils to print on the week's Bible verse. Add pictures cut from magazines, or sprigs of plants and flowers for additional decoration. Use the placemats during the week the verse is being memorized. MEMORY VERSE ENCOURAGEMENT Hopefully, your primaries read their Sunday school lesson and learn the memory verse at home. To encourage them to develop this habit, give a surprise reward to those who can say the verse and have read their lesson. Of course, they will have had no advance notice of your plan. Just begin with, "Who will say the verse today? Did you read your lesson?" DOWN MEMORY LANE To keep the memory verses before your class you may want to use this idea. Arrange a flip chart on which the memory verses are printed with a felt pen. Each Sunday use these verses as a call to worship having the students read the verses as a chorale reading. No mention should be made that these verses are to be memorized. Some learning comes easier by indirect teaching. ILLUSTRATE THE MEMORY VERSE Primaries will understand memory verses better when the teacher uses pictures to illustrate the verse to be remembered. Keep a file of pictures which will be used often, such as an owl for "know" and "wise"; a gold circle to represent "the Lord" or "God" (because it has no beginning and no end); a road or pathway for "path" or "way"; red, black and white hearts to represent "righteous, "saved, "sin, "clean, etc. Pictures from magazines and catalogs are very useful for this purpose and the children should be encouraged to bring pictures they find. Be sure to look for verses that fit pictures the children bring. Be sure to explain carefully every picture and what the memory verse means; then let the children tell you what each means. This same method may be used to teach choruses. Many illustrated choruses are available, but the children will prefer the ones for which they have helped collect the pictures. MEMORY WHEEL Put purpose and meaning into memorization for your young people, and they will be more willing to learn verses of Scripture that are assigned to them. Why not make a large question wheel with a pointer that can be turned. Papers bearing questions are placed at the edge of the wheel. As each pupil comes up in turn he spins the pointer.

He has to answer the question to which the needle points with a verse of Scripture that has been learned during the last quarter. The questions should be thoughtfully planned with the verses in mind. For instance, in answer to the statement, "I think by doing the best I can, I will get to heaven," the pupil would quote, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9). MEMORY VERSE WHEEL Have you ever tried a memory verse wheel? Cut a large sheet of heavy paper to measure about 14 x 18, inches. Fold it in half as a greeting card. Cut a disk of heavy white paper about seven inches in diameter. Attach the wheel with a brad to the inside front of the card. The wheel should extend about a quarter of an inch from the right side of the card so that it may be turned. With crayons or watercolors, draw a lighted candle on the front of the card. Cut a window in the flame. Write the words of the memory verse on the wheel so only one word at a time will show through the window. Be sure to include the reference. As the wheel is moved to the left, the verse will be seen. The wheel may be turned over and a second verse added. New wheels may be made for additional verses. On the front of the card, write, "'Today's Memory Verse," or "Light for Today." Suggest that the children try to think of the next word before coming to it. Then they may turn the wheel to see if they were right. You may also want to adapt these wheels so the children may work in pairs. This is easily done by putting the verse in the same order on both sides of the wheel. Your students may then divide into pairs with one working through the verse while the other checks the appropriate words on the wheel. It will simply mean cutting another slit on the back of the card. A SCRIPTURE CLOTHESLINE A Scripture clothesline provides a novel way for your pupils to memorize Bible verses. You will need a piece of clothesline or other readily available light rope approximately six feet long, clothespins, an old sheet that can be torn into appropriate sized pieces, a small laundry basket, and a felt tipped marker. Carefully cut up or tear a sheet into the appropriate number of pieces according to the length of the verse being used. (Keep in mind that your Primaries need a challenge, but not an impossible task.) Then, with a felt tip marker print the verse clearly. Leave a three-inch space between the top of the cloth and the first line of the verse. Leave a two-inch space between each line. Capital letters should be at least three inches high; small letters should be two inches high. Several different verses may be made in this way. Double them up together in your clothesbasket along with clothespins and they'll be ready for the children to hang up and memorize. Your key verse for each lesson will definitely be a lot more fun done in this way. JUNIORS SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION To help Juniors memorize a Bible verse and to allow physical activity at the same time, write each word of a verse on a separate sheet of paper. Have one piece of paper for the reference. Pin

one piece of paper to each child's clothes. If needed, you can pin two consecutive words on some of the children. At a given signal, have them arrange themselves so the verse reads correctly. Time them to see how many seconds it takes. Keep track of time improvement from week to week. If verses are short enough and the class large enough, have a race between two groups, using verses of the same length. If some children do not have a word, use them as the captains to help arrange them on their teams. Use a different color of paper for the words of each verse, or perhaps a different shade so as to remember some important thoughts contained in the verse of Scripture. ADD COLOR TO MEMORIZATION Memory work or Scripture memorization is important to every age group. However, it can be especially important in the lives of your Juniors. This project contains ten memory verses. A bare artist's palette, light brown, is presented to each child on the first day, with the palette verse (Isaiah 1:18) pasted on it. On each succeeding Sunday, a spot of "paint" with a corresponding reference is added and the verse is found by the young person. The colors and verses have significance: red the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7); black sin (Romans 3:23); white purity (1 John 3:3); blue deity (John 14:9); brown suffering (Isaiah 53:5); orange fire (Luke 3:16); green life (John 1:4); purple royalty (Luke 18:38); yellow heaven (John 1:51). These and other verses can be used according to the need or lesson material being studied. You will often find that your Junior class is capable of learning more than one verse during a given week. Therefore, you may want to have them learn the key verse or golden text given in your lesson curriculum along with verses such as the ones suggested which may be associated with color and other mental stimulus. MEMORY WORK GADGET Juniors are at the age when memorizing verses is most easily accomplished. Teachers should try in every way possible to hide God's Word in the hearts of His people. Here is a memory work gadget that will be especially interesting for junior boys. You might use it for the verses of the quarter, or for an entire chapter such as 1 Corinthians 13, which has 13 verses. Cut knife cases from lightweight colored cardboard. Print the boy's name on the cardboard. From lightweight white cardboard, make blades for each week, and have the pupils print the verses on them. Punch a small hole at the end of each blade, and use two small brads to fasten the two parts of each cover together. One brad may also hold the blades. One blade at a time may be opened as the verses are reviewed. SPECIAL MEMORY PROJECT Why not start now planning for a special memory project preceding the month of October in which we have special World Mission emphasis? Scripture references should have lessons to our missionary responsibility such as Mark 16:15, Matthew 24:14, John 1:29. You will then need to mimeograph world maps, titled "Go ye into all the world." Also, copy the separate countries or continents on colored paper, for example, the United States and Alaska could be done in blue; Canada and the British Isles done in red; South America in green; Russia done in orange, etc. The Scripture reference would then be printed on each country. As your pupils learn the Scripture verse associated with each separate continent or country, they will receive a replica of that country or continent to cut out and paste on their map. Each pupil who completes his map should receive an award. Perhaps these awards could be used in connection with Sunday School Week or High Attendance Day. If you are unable to copy the map on various colored

paper, simply copy the shapes of the continents or countries and allow your pupils to color them brightly, and then cut them out for placing on their larger world map. MEMORIZE WITH COLORFUL WRITING One way to learn about a verse is to write it a number of times. This learning process can become more interesting if done in an unusual way. Writing in two colors at one time always interests children. Use two crayons, simultaneously, in a script writing. This will delight the boys and girls. In planning a verse writing session, have ready for each child, two crayons or wooden colored pencils of complimentary colors. Fasten them together with a rubber band. Pull one pencil to extend a little further than the other. With the bright color on the top and a pastel underneath, a shadow effect is created in your writing. Instruct the children to write with the longer pencil on the top in order that the pencil points both reach the paper at the same time. The usual result of writing Bible verses in this way is a willingness on the part of the child to write the verse several times, pride in the artistic effect, and learning accomplished with pleasure. SENIOR HIGH DAILY SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION Here is a project that the class might wish to undertake. Prepare mimeographed daily Bible verse calendars for the members of the class. Through the use of the calendars, pupils can learn entire chapters. For instance, in two weeks they can memorize 1 Corinthians 13 using the 14th day to review the chapter at Sunday school. Type the verses, leaving four or five spaces between verses. Use colored paper if possible. Cut between the verses and indicate that the individual is to tear off a verse each day and carry it with them. They might use it as a bookmark when in school or keep it in their pocket or other handy place where it can be used several times during the day. After a portion has been memorized, a Bible drill activity might be used as a means of review. However, you should keep in mind the likes and dislikes of your Sunday school class. QUESTION WHEEL Put purpose and meaning into memorization for your class members and they will be more willing to commit to memory the weekly lesson's Golden Text. Why not use this method in your class; it will help pupils see the value of memorizing the Scripture. Make a large question wheel with a pointer that can be turned. Note cards hearing questions are placed at the edge of the wheel. As each pupil comes up in turn he spins the pointer. He has to answer the question to which the needle points with a verse of Scripture that has been learned during the past quarter. The questions should be thoughtfully planned with the verses in mind. For instance, in answer to a question, "I think by doing the best I can I will make it into heaven," the pupil would quote, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12. In committing verses of Scripture to memory and in being given an opportunity to apply them to life situations, the young person will be provided with a storehouse of promises upon which he can rely in the future.

ADULTS SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION Frequently, young people suggest that a vital need in their lives is to see adults practicing what they preach. One area where this is often quite noticeable is that of Scripture verse memorization. Remember, adults CAN memorize verses of Scripture. Why not try dividing the adults in each class into groups of four or five, and give each group a leader. Post the names of each group with the leader on a poster in the class. When the assigned verses of Scripture are memorized, let the group quote them to the leader of the group. When the recital is adequate, place a checkmark after the person's name on the chart. When a sufficient number of pupils have memorized the particular verse use it in the opening session of the class, repeating it in unison. The joy will come as you choose verses for the pupils to learn that will help them lead others to Christ. Put these in a logical order, and it will be amazing what can happen! When several salvation verses have been committed to memory, turn to Christian life, and let these become the target. It will not be long until a great passage of Scripture will be known by many of your adults. The youth will see the example, and they will desire to follow it. (If your class is exceptionally small, you will perhaps only have one group for this memorization task, but it will still be important to visualize the task set before them in some way.) CHILDREN IN GENERAL IN THE BAG Bring to class two matching 12 x 15 inch sheets of construction paper for each pupil, together with a made-up sample of a paper "Shoe Bag." For two successive class periods allow a short period of time for the pupils to make their own shoe bags and shoes for the project. First, they should make the pockets for the bag by pasting three 3 x 12 inch strips of paper one inch apart on the background sheet. They may use paste, cellophane tape, or staples to separate pockets. The next week, provide a shoe pattern for each pupil to trace and cut out twelve shoes. For realism he can outline the stitching; then write his name on the back of each shoe. Store these in the last pocket of his shoe bag to use one each week. During the record-taking time on Sunday give each pupil a shoe on which to write the reference for that week's verse or passage. Briefly read the verse together and discuss it. Let those who learned the Scripture verse the previous week recite it. Put the shoe for the learned Scripture verse into a pocket in the bag. Unused shoes of absent pupils afford opportunities for weekday contacts either by mailing the shoe with the reference on it, or a telephone or personal call.